Growth and flowering of Geranium and New Guinea Impatiens

in peat-reduced and in peat-free substrates watered with

different irrigation systems
A. Pozzi(1), A. Pardossi(2), P. Frangi(1)
(1)Fondazione Minoprio, Viale Raimondi, 54, 22070 Vertemate con Minoprio (CO), Italy
E-mail: mirtserv@tin.it
(2)Dipartimento di Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Viale delle Piagge 23, 56124 Pisa, Italy

INTRODUCTION
Peat represents the main component utilized in substrates for pot plant cultivation. The increasing
demand of peat-reduced and peat-free substrates has recently stimulated the development of various MATERIALS AND METHODS
alternatives to peat (wood fibre, bark compost, green compost, rice hulls, coir dust). Species: zonal geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey) cv. Praeludium;
The objectives of this work were: New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri Bull.) cv. Riviera Red
a) to evaluate two materials (coir dust and polyurethane foam) as substrates for pot plant cultivation; Factors: substrates: T (test) = 80% white peat + 20% perlite
b) to establish which is the maximum percentage of peat substitution with coir dust or polyurethane; C1 = 40% white peat + 30% coir dust + 30% perlite
c) to assess the response of substrates to different water supply systems: subirrigation by ebb/flow C2 = 50% coir dust + 50% perlite
and overhead irrigation by drips. P1 = 65% white peat + 15% polyurethane + 20% perlite
P2 = 50% white peat + 30% polyurethane + 20% perlite
water supply systems: ebb/flow, drip irrigation
Physical characteristics of the 5 substrates Base fertilization: 1kg/m3 of PG Mix (14:16:18)
Parameters T C1 C2 P1 P2 Peat liming: 3 kg/m3 of CaCO3
3 0,124 0,125 0,117 0,133 0,128
Bulk density (g/cm ) Irrigation control: by tensiometers (80 hPa for geranium and 60hPa for Impatiens)
Total porosity (% v:v) 93,1 93,5 94,7 92,7 93,1 Fertigation: title 17:5:17. EC 1.2 mS/cm in the first month, then 1.6 mS/cm
Air capacity at pF 1 (% v:v) 54,6 51,9 55,6 44,4 48,8 Measurements: weight of sample plants before and after each fertigation;
Available water between pF 1 and 19,0 20,1 15,2 27,6 25,2 plant height and diameter, number of branches and flowers,
pF 2 (% v:v) ornamental value, fresh and dry weight at the end of cycle
Analysis: physical characteristics of substrates (De Boodt method)
Air capacity and available water of substrates containing coir dust resulted similar EC, pH, mineral content of substrates at start, mid and end of trial
to peat-based substrate T, while the addition of polyurethane resulted in a higher foliar content at start, mid and end of trial
value of available water and a lower level of air capacity.
RESULTS

For both the species plants grown

in substrates containing 30% (C1)
or 50% (C2) of coir dust had a
development similar or even
higher than the one reached in the
control substrate (T). F = ebb/flow, G = drip

F = ebb/flow, G = drip New Guinea Impatiens grown in

C1 and C2 substrates showed the
same ornamental value as in T
substrate regardless of the
irrigation system, while in
geranium C2 substrate gave rise to
lower quality plants in ebb/flow Substrate System Plant Plant Branches Fresh Dry Ornamental Substrate
system in comparison with C1 and height diameter weight weight value absorption
T substrates. (cm) (cm) (no.) (g) (g) (1-5*) (g)
T ebb/flow 17.3 bc 34.1 a 4.8 ab 97.4 a 7.2 ac 3.9 a 2505
drip 17.1 bc 33.1 a 5.0 ab 92.1 ab 6.7 bc 4.0 a 3545
C1 ebb/flow 18.6 a 34.3 a 4.4 ac 106.2 a 7.9 a 4.3 a 3100
The substitution of peat with drip 18.1 ab 34.1 a 5.1 a 91.9 ab 6.6 c 4.1 a 3175
Substrate System Plant Plant Flowers Fresh Dry Ornamental Substrate polyurethane had a negative effect C2 ebb/flow 17.4 ac 31.9 ab 4.3 ac 107.9 a 7.8 ab 3.8 ab 2470
height diameter weight weight value absorption on plant growth and quality, drip 17.7 ab 32.8 a 4.7 ac 97.9 a 6.9 ac 3.8 a 2425
(cm) (cm) (no.) (g) (g) (1-5*) (g) especially with ebb/flow system. P1 ebb/flow 15.0 d 29.2 b 4.8 ab 54.2 c 4.8 d 2.8 c 2480
T ebb/flow 37.3 a 36.4 a 2.0 a 189.0 a 19.2 a 3.9 a 4220 New Guinea Impatiens was drip 16.4 c 29.5 b 4.4 ac 81.1 b 6.4 c 3.3 b 2700
drip 35.9 ac 36.6 a 1.7 ac 182.7 ab 17.7 ab 3.2 c 3750 P2 ebb/flow 13.2 e 23.9 c 3.8 c 33.3 d 3.5 e 2.3 d 1200
particularly susceptible to the
C1 ebb/flow 36.7 a 35.9 a 1.8 ac 170.2 ac 16.9 ab 3.7 ab 4275 drip 14.1 de 25.6 c 4.1 bc 53.8 c 4.8 d 2.0 d 2105
addition of polyurethane in the Significance
drip 36.8 a 36.4 a 1.7 ac 175.5 ab 16.8 ab 3.4 bc 4575
substrate. substrate ** ** * ** ** ** -
C2 ebb/flow 36.8 a 35.0 ab 1.9 ab 163.0 bd 16.4 ab 3.2 c 3660
drip 37.2 a 36.4 a 1.8 ac 179.0 ab 18.4 a 3.4 bc 4550 system n.s. n.s. n.s. ** n.s. n.s. -
P1 ebb/flow 36.4 ab 33.9 b 1.9 ab 153.3 cd 17.0 ab 3.2 c 3225 substrate x system n.s. n.s. n.s. ** ** n.s. -
drip 34.2 bc 36.5 a 2.0 a 182.5 ab 18.1 a 3.4 bc 5355 Analysing the relation between
P2 ebb/flow 33.8 c 29.5 c 1.6 bc 118.5 e 14.0 b 2.3 e 3190 ornamental value and substrate
drip 34.1 bc 35.0 ab 1.4 c 146.4 d 15.8 ab 2.8 d 3980
Symptoms of marginal necrosis of leaves, caused by an excess of Cu
absorption it comes out that in and Zn, were observed in New Guinea Impatiens when polyurethane
Significance
geranium the best water use was added to the substrate.
substrate ** ** ** ** * ** -
efficiency was observed with T and
system n.s. ** n.s. ** n.s. n.s. -
substrate x system n.s. ** n.s. * n.s. ** -
C1 substrates with ebb/flow system,
while in New Guinea Impatiens the
*: 1 = very poor, 2 = poor, 3 = mean, 4 = good, 5= very good
Values followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Duncans
best results were achieved with the
test (P = 0.05) n.s., *, **: nonsignificant, significant at P = 0.05, 0.01 respectively. peat-free substrate C2 in both the
systems and with T substrate
watered with ebb/flow system.

CONCLUSIONS
Coir dust can completely replace peat in New Guinea Impatiens cultivation regardless of the irrigation Work supported by Regione Lombardia -
system, while in geranium a percentage of peat is necessary for optimal growth with subirrigation system Direzione Generale Agricoltura (Progetto
Polyurethane foam is not a good alternative to peat for the 2 species tested Regionale Floricolo, d.g.r. n. 5331 02.07.01)